The most important quotes of the first presidential debate

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump (L) speaks as Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton listens during the Presidential Debate at Hofstra University.Pool/Getty Images
Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump faced off Monday in the first of three presidential debates before Election Day on November 8.

NBC's Lester Holt moderated the frequently contentious debate at Hofstra University in Long Island, which was divided into six 15-minute segments, though the segments often went over the time allotment.

The topics were "America's Direction" (the state of the union), "Achieving Prosperity" (the economy), and "Securing America" (national security and foreign policy).

The showdown was filled with back-and-forth.

We've collected all of the most buzzed-about quotes from the debate here.